Message:

Subject: Re: engorged?
Posted by Cynthia on December 17, 1998 at 13:56:51:

In Reply to: engorged? posted by Brooke on December 17, 1998 at 12:59:42:

: HI, I have a female SG that I just pulled babies from.
: Anyway, about a week before I weaned the babies, I noticed that her pouch looked a little big, and I wondered if it could be babies.

Since you noticed the enlargement of the pouch area a week BEFORE you weaned the babies it is most likely engorgement. Marsupials commonly go through a phase in their reproductive cycle called embryonic diapause. They will breed the day of or the day after giving birth. The embryo then goes into a state of stasis until the babies that are in pouch are no longer nursing. Once the mother is no longer nursing little ones the embryo(s), then begin gestation. This takes a period of 16 days. So they would not make their way into the pouch until 16 days after she has stopped nursing. Keep in mind however that there are exceptions to every rule.

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